Non-Hermiticity enriches topological phases beyond the existing Hermitian framework. Whereas their unusual features with no Hermitian counterparts were extensively explored, a full understanding about the role of symmetry in non-Hermitian physics has still been elusive and there has remained an urgent need to establish their topological classification in view of rapid theoretical and experimental progress. Here, we develop a complete theory of symmetry and topology in non-Hermitian physics. We demonstrate that non-Hermiticity ramifies the celebrated Altland-Zirnbauer symmetry classification for insulators and superconductors. In particular, charge conjugation is defined in terms of transposition rather than complex conjugation due to the lack of Hermiticity, and hence chiral symmetry becomes distinct from sublattice symmetry. It is also shown that non-Hermiticity enables a Hermitian-conjugate counterpart of the Altland-Zirnbauer symmetry. Taking into account sublattice symmetry or pseudo-Hermiticity as an additional symmetry, the total number of symmetry classes is 38 instead of 10, which describe intrinsic non-Hermitian topological phases as well as non-Hermitian random matrices. Furthermore, due to the complex nature of energy spectra, non-Hermitian systems feature two different types of complex-energy gaps, point-like and line-like vacant regions. On the basis of these concepts and K -theory, we complete classification of non-Hermitian topological phases in arbitrary dimensions and symmetry classes. Remarkably, non-Hermitian topology depends on the type of complex-energy gaps and multiple topological structures appear for each symmetry class and each spatial dimension, which are also illustrated in detail with concrete examples. Moreover, the bulk-boundary correspondence in non-Hermitian systems is elucidated within our framework, and symmetries preventing the non-Hermitian skin effect are identified. Our classification not only categorizes recently observed lasing and transport topological phenomena, but also predicts a new type of symmetry-protected topological lasers with lasing helical edge states and dissipative topological superconductors with nonorthogonal Majorana edge states. Furthermore, our theory provides topological classification of Hermitian and non-Hermitian free bosons. Our work establishes a theoretical framework for the fundamental and comprehensive understanding of non-Hermitian topological phases and paves the way toward uncovering unique phenomena and functionalities that emerge from the interplay of non-Hermiticity and topology.
This review elaborates pedagogically on the fundamental concept, basic theory, expected properties, and materials realizations of topological superconductors. The relation between topological superconductivity and Majorana fermions are explained, and the difference between dispersive Majorana fermions and a localized Majorana zero mode is emphasized. A variety of routes to topological superconductivity are explained with an emphasis on the roles of spin-orbit coupling. Present experimental situations and possible signatures of topological superconductivity are summarized with an emphasis on intrinsic topological superconductors. CONTENTS
It is proposed that in s-wave superfluids of cold fermionic atoms with laser-field-generated effective spin-orbit interactions, a topological phase with gapless edge states and Majorana fermion quasiparticles obeying non-Abelian statistics is realized in the case with a large Zeeman magnetic field. Our scenario provides a promising approach to the realization of quantum computation based on the manipulation of non-Abelian anyons via an s-wave Feshbach resonance. PACS numbers:Introduction -Recently, there has been considerable interest in topological phases of quantum many-body systems, which are characterized by the following features [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]: (i) there are topologicallyprotected gapless edge states on surface boundaries of the systems, which are stable against local perturbations, (ii) for two-dimensional (2D) systems, there are quasiparticles with fractional quantum numbers (e.g., fractional charges) termed "anyons". To this time, the possibility of realizing topological phases has been studied for various states realized in condensed matter systems, such as quantum (spin) Hall states [2,3,4,5,6], vortex states of p + ip superconductors [9,10,11,12], and spin liquid states [7,13], and for cosmological systems such as axion strings [14]. The feature (ii) is particularly of interest in connection with the realization of fault-tolerant quantum computation based on the manipulation of non-Abelian anyons [7,13,15,16,17,18]. Since topological phases provide not only a novel paradigm of quantum ground states but also a potential breakthrough for technological advance, it is desirable to pursue various possible schemes for their realization.
A topological superconductor (TSC) is characterized by the topologically protected gapless surface state that is essentially an Andreev bound state consisting of Majorana fermions. While a TSC has not yet been discovered, the doped topological insulator Cu(x)Bi(2)Se(3), which superconducts below ∼3 K, has been predicted to possess a topological superconducting state. We report that the point-contact spectra on the cleaved surface of superconducting Cu(x)Bi(2)Se(3) present a zero-bias conductance peak (ZBCP) which signifies unconventional superconductivity. Theoretical considerations of all possible superconducting states help us conclude that this ZBCP is due to Majorana fermions and gives evidence for a topological superconductivity in Cu(x)Bi(2)Se(3). In addition, we found an unusual pseudogap that develops below ∼20 K and coexists with the topological superconducting state.
A unique feature of non-Hermitian systems is the skin effect, which is the extreme sensitivity to the boundary conditions. Here, we reveal that the skin effect originates from intrinsic non-Hermitian topology. Such a topological origin not merely explains the universal feature of the known skin effect, but also leads to new types of the skin effects -symmetry-protected skin effects. In particular, we discover the Z2 skin effect protected by time-reversal symmetry. On the basis of topological classification, we also discuss possible other skin effects in arbitrary dimensions. Our work provides a unified understanding about the bulk-boundary correspondence and the skin effects in non-Hermitian systems.Recently, non-Hermitian Hamiltonians [1-7] have been extensively studied in open classical [8][9][10][11][12][13][14] and quantum [15][16][17][18][19][20] systems as well as disordered or correlated solids with finite-lifetime quasiparticles [21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. In particular, much research has focused on distinctive characteristics of non-Hermitian topological phases . The rich non-Hermitian topology is attributed to the complex-valued nature of the spectrum, which enables two types of complex-energy gaps [56]: line gap and point gap. Since a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian with a line gap is continuously deformed to a Hermitian one without closing the line gap [56], topology for a line gap describes the persistence of conventional topological phases against non-Hermitian perturbations, which is relevant to topological lasers [40][41][42][43][44], for example. On the other hand, a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian with a point gap is allowed to be deformed to a unitary one [46,56]. As a result, point-gapped topological phases cannot always be continuously deformed into any Hermitian counterparts; topology for a point gap is intrinsic to non-Hermitian systems in sharp contrast to a line gap. A point gap describes unique non-Hermitian topological phenomena such as localization transitions [1,2,46,52,58] and emergence of exceptional points [21-26, 34, 37, 49, 50, 53, 55].A hallmark of topological phases is the presence of the localized states at the boundaries as a result of nontrivial topology of the bulk [61-63]. Remarkably, non-Hermiticity alters the nature of the bulk-boundary correspondence (BBC) . The critical distinction is the extreme sensitivity of the bulk to the boundary conditions, which is called the non-Hermitian skin effect [68]. It accompanies the localization of bulk eigenstates as well as the dramatic difference of bulk spectra according to the boundary conditions, which forces us to redefine the bulk topology so as to be suitable for the open boundary condition [67,68,78,80]. The BBC persists in the presence of a line gap since non-Hermitian Hamiltonians with a line gap can be continuously deformed to Hermitian ones. However, the BBC for a point gap has still remained unclear. Since a point gap describes intrinsic non-Hermitian topology, the nature of the BBC may be disparate from the Hermitian counterpart...
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.